A Witch's Curse

Chapter 5

"Am I really apart of your coven?" Vera asked at the table during breakfast. Lyssa shot her a warning glare.

"Yes, you are," Rosalin responded hardly listening. All she could think about was that memory last night. That had been the day her life fell apart. But in order to survive, she picked up the pieces and continued on. Never had she put the pieces back together, she wasn't sure she could. And yet Lyssa and Vera had each put one back. Reminding her who she was. Who she was before Keila's death. Not the coward she was now. She used to jump from trees for fun. Once she had jumped off a waterfall when Keila had turned away after forbidding her not to. She had been reckless and wild and free. But not anymore. She sometimes missed that self. She was so lost in her thoughts she only finally noticed them staring at her. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked shaking her head.

"I asked, when are you two going?" Vera said.

"Apparently to find the rest of our coven."

"Then I'm coming too," Vera said in a tone that meant, do not tell me otherwise.

"Fine, I was going to ask you to come with anyway," she said with a hint of a smile. "Do you have a broom?" Vera gave them a small smile.

"Yes."

They all jumped off the balconies and into the air. All was going smoothly until Vera flew past Rosalin and Lyssa nearly knocking them out of the sky. How could her broom be that fast? Witch brooms could physically not go that fast. Brooms could sense your thoughts, that is how you control them. Vera slowed to a stop and waited for them, she explained, "I used magic. Get's me places in half the time." She flicked a hand towards them. "Try it now." Rosalin went ahead and blasted forward. She flicked the clear lens over her eyes. It helps with strong winds so they could see when going fast. A witch thing. She twirled through the air. Then dove. Her stomach lurched but she held fast nearing the icy ground. Twenty feet away was the ground. She was freefalling. Ten feet. Hardly able to hold onto the broom anymore she was pulling up before she splattered. She hadn't done something that recklessly in years. Since she was with Keila.

As Lyssa and Vera caught up Lyssa called out to her, "Since when are you a daredevil?" Rosalin's smile broadened.

"When I was a witchling I used to jump out of the biggest tree I could find. I broke my arm from landing on it once after I jumped out of a thirty foot one. I used to love to do that. But, we are headed somewhere, ... to the human capital."

"Put the brooms in a hollow tree hidden away, then follow me," she hastily whispered as they exited a small grove of trees near the capital city. Lyssa and Vera nodded finding separate trees to hide their brooms in. They had indeed gotten there in twice the time with the magic in their brooms.

"Why are we here?" Vera asked as they walked.

"Because we need supplies."

"But we don't have money," Lyssa pointed out.

"Just trust me," Rosalin responded. As they headed to the city, they saw what was looming above it all. It was the human king's castle, the one who ordered the witches to be burned. Lyssa glared at it like she could make it explode by getting mad.

"I don't think that staring at it will do anything," Vera whispered to Lyssa. Lyssa glared at Vera. Rosalin just let out a breathy laugh. They neared the city gates.

"They have special markings for high-status people so they can go in without waiting in that line, and we don't have to pay," Rosalin said pointing to the long line by the gates. And with a wave of her hand, there was the marking on their wrists. "Let's go in and get our supplies," Rosalin said. And so they entered the city of those human vipers.

They had gone along getting their supplies and had grabbed some food along the way. Lyssa had peeled off saying she had to get something. When she came back she was quieter. "Rosalin, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. Rosalin jerked her head to the nearby alley. When they were out of sight Lyssa pulled her into a tight hug. "I missed you," she squealed. When her face came back into view she realized that it was not Lyssa staring back at her. Aera. The blond and blue-eyed woman's face was many years older than when Rosalin had last seen her cousin.

"Aera," she breathed. She started sobbing quietly. Her older cousin was only older by two years. Aera had mastered shape-shifting at eight somehow. The actual Lyssa came running around the corner, Vera behind her, and seeing her tear-stained face and the witch holding her, her face softened slightly. Rosalin wiped away her tears. "This is my cousin Aera, she's really good at shapeshifting," she said smiling through her tears.

"You had me fooled," Vera admitted.

"Clearly," Lyssa said glaring at them.

"I like your scar," Aera said to Vera. Aera's eyes flared with warning. "Duck." Vera ducked as an arrow flew over her head and through the eye-slit in the soldier's armor.

"I like your aim," Vera answered.

"It's time to go, they know what we are." Aera's clothes turned into witch leathers. She slung her bow over a shoulder and called over, "I have to grab my broom, where do I meet you?"

"The grove, a mile out," Rosalin respnded quietly so no one else could hear. Aera nodded. She ran off down the alleyway. "The back alleys, they go to the southern gates," Rosalin ordered them. They took off at sprints away from the soldiers filing in behind them. As they were running they all readied their magic and weapons. The southern gates were now insight. Except there were soldiers gathering around them. "Let's show them they can't touch us and expect to live," Rosalin said to her coven. Vera's brows rose and Lyssa gave Rosalin a small smile.